Vacuum Forming Material Selection Guide
This vacuum forming material selection guide is part of our free help with vacuum forming. It lists most common vacuum forming materials, their basic properties in standard grade, some advice on costs & typical uses for formings made from each material type. For more free help, view our process guide, or for more detail on the material, visit our Vacuum Forming Material Specification guide.
| Material Types, Abbreviations & Density | Description, Details & Typical Applications |
Comments / Options |
|---|---|---|
| Acrylic PMMA |
High quality, hard, medium - high strength but brittle, good clarity, high cost |
Various colours & clear grades in 1½ - 6 mm thickness Can be hand worked or cellulose / enamel painted |
| Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene ABS, 1.08 g/cm³ |
Hard, rigid, very good impact strength & weather resistance, medium cost Electrical Enclosures, Luggage, Sanitary & Vehicle Parts |
Limited colours & clear, various textures & finishes, plus fire retardant and UV stabilised grades. Easy to obtain in 1 - 6 mm thickness Easy to cut, paint or print on |
| Polycarbonate PC |
Hard, rigid, very good impact strength & clarity, self extinguishing, high cost Aircraft trim, Light diffusers, Machine Guards, Riot Shields, Signs, Skylights and Visors |
Various colours & clear, plus textured & UV stabilised grades, 1 - 6 mm thickness Easy to machine, screen print, drill, tap & ultrasonically weld |
| Polyethyleneterephthalate Glycol PETG, 1.27 g/cm³ |
FDA approved, good - high impact strength, optically very good, can be sterilised & resilient to wide range of acid oils and alcohols, but not with highly alkaline solutions, high cost Dairy & Medical Parts, Point of Sale. |
Clear only, easy to obtain in 0.8 - 6 mm thickness Easy to cut, machine or paint |
| Polyethylene - High Density HDPE, 0.96 g/cm³ |
Flexible, v.good impact strength, low cost Caravan Parts, Enclosures, Housings & Vehicle Parts |
Black or white only, easy to obtain in 1 - 5 mm thickness Needs specialist inks, can't be painted |
| Polypropylene PP, 0.91 g/cm³ |
Flexible, v.good impact strength, low cost Chemical Tanks, Enclosures, Food Containers, Luggage, Medical Applications and Toys. |
Black or natural only, easy to obtain in 0.75 - 6 mm thickness Filled & additive grades available Cannot be spray painted |
| Polystyrene - High Impact HIPS, 1.06 g/cm³ |
Wide range of options, high impact strength, low cost Displays, disposable items, models, packaging, presentation & toys |
10+ colours, various textures, flocked, conductive & UV stable grades. Easy to obtain in 0.25 - 6 mm thickness
|
| Polyvinyl Chloride PVC, 1.37 g/cm³ |
Medium - high strength, good transparency in thinner gauges, good fire retardant & chemical properties. Highly resistant to solvents, low cost Car Trims, Machine Guards & Packaging |
Clear, black or white, easy to obtain 0.25 - 0.75 mm thickness Thicker grades with good rigidity & impact strength available - most suited for outdoor industrial use |
